Return Flight for the Channel Island Bald Eagles

Did you know that the Bald Eagle once nested throughout the Channel Islands? The Bald Eagle population declined on the islands due to human persecution (e.g., egg collection and hunting) and from the impacts associated with the release of the pesticide DDT into the marine environment in southern California. By the early 1960s, Bald Eagles had completely disappeared from the Channel Islands. The Montrose Chemical Corporation, located in Torrance, California, released DDT waste into the ocean through an outfall pipe off the Palos Verdes Peninsula from the 1940s to the early 1970s. The Bald Eagles fed on fish, seabirds, and marine mammals that were contaminated with DDT. Bald Eagles on the Channel Islands began laying thin-shelled eggs that broke in the nest when the adults tried to incubate them.

For years now, a dedicated team of biologists and partners have been working tirelessly to bring the Bald Eagle back to the Channel Islands. In the film, Return Flight: Restoring the Bald Eagle to the Channel Islands, the filmmaker documents the incredible journey of the Bald Eagle and their reintroduction to this island ecosystem. You can witness the recovery of these majestic birds and the biologists that are helping them firsthand in this amazing film.